It seems as though everywhere you look, someone is making a career out of remodelling and home improvement. People are building new decks and Mississauga townhouses are replacing older worn properties. It is more than likely that you have a couple of friends who make it sound as though undertaking and completing a home improvement job of any kind is a simple walk in the park, one that can be completed in a couple of days before going on to the next project.

Well, the truth about home improvement is that, most of the time, it is a lot more complex than the fast-paced world of today would have us believe. Flick on the television, and you will see an hour or even half hour long show in which a bathroom is completely remodelled. And we do mean completely; everything is replaced, re-wired, re-plumbed. On an intellectual level we do know that some time has passed, after all there are often helpful subtitles stating "Day Three", "Day Seven" and so on. Still, it is pretty hard to grasp the real passage of time from a half hour program, let alone the real frustration that can come up with such a massive project. Too many people are acting as though home improvement is an easy task that does not require a lot of skill or time.

This perception is far from the truth. But, even on the television, experts (and yes, there are some true experts out there) will kind of gloss over the real issues and problems involved in a complicated home improvement job. You might hear "this wall is load bearing" and then a list of ways to deal with that, but the concept is lost in the fast paced show.

This site is all about bringing you the nuts and bolts of more complex home improvement projects and making them as clear as we can, both the actual tasks and the things that you may watch out for. It is no place to come if you are looking for a Martha Stewart type makeover. We do agree that perception can really help define a house, but the problem is that no matter how good it looks, a house with a shaky foundation just can't last. This site concentrates on getting those foundations into place, one piece at a time, before you put the finishing touches on.

We will try to cover all of the bases when it comes to preparing and understanding the home improvement task that you are about to undertake. That starts out with a list of the tools that you will probably need, in order to make sure the task is completed correctly, and the materials you need to buy beforehand. You can also expect to find some of the common areas of concern in the different tasks that we detail on the site; in some, you might even find that local regulations might check the scope or the details of the project you are undertaking.

Next, of course, comes the actual task. Every home improvement task will differ, in terms of time frame, depending on both the size of the project and on your experience. You might find that the project you take on can't be completed for a few weeks or even months, but let us just say right now that the extra time is probably worth it. Even seasoned do-it-yourselfers can mess up on their measurements now and again (in fact, this is when it tends to happen more often, as people are comfortable with their abilities) and it really doesn't hurt the project to check everything a couple of times. Remember, the way in which this project is completed will have an impact not only on your enjoyment of your home, but in its price estimate, as well.

More complex home improvement jobs and remodels mean that you need better than average advice and tips. This type of project takes more time, more money, and ultimately will have more effect on the price and enjoyment of your home. The big difference between these jobs and more aesthetically focused ones is that most of your work will not be too well noticed; it is hidden, which of course, in the end, is the point. It is the hidden parts of one's home that determine quality and longevity, the surface aspect is just a selling point.